1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to structural connectors. More particularly, the invention concerns a flanged connector assembly for use in connecting together elongated structural members that extend at an angle with respect to one another.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Various types of connectors have been suggested in the past for joining together structural members, such as lengths of dimension lumber, structural wood beams, and the like. Often the prior art connectors take the form of clamp assemblies that are used to join together perpendicularly arranged structural member to form permanent and temporary structures such as scaffolds and playground structures.
As a general rule the prior art clamp assemblies comprise shaped gripping members that are formed of sheet metal by a combination of cutting, punching, stamping and bending operations. The formed gripping members are typically apertured to receive one or more bolts that are used to interconnect the gripping members with the structural members that are to be joined together.
Exemplary of a connector assembly used to construct playground structures is the connector assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,110 to Sammann. The Sammann device comprises a clamp assembly for joining perpendicularly arranged, square, elongate, structural remembers to form a framework. The clamp assembly comprises a pair of shaped gripping members aligned in a confronting relationship respective to one another. The gripping members have parts that form opposed sockets, which are arranged perpendicular to one another. One of the sockets receives an end of one structural member therewithin, and the other of the sockets receives a medial length of the other structural member to secure the perpendicularly arranged structural members together. Two bolts, which extend perpendicular through a part of the gripping members and in between the elongate structural members, is tensioned to force the pair of gripping members to bear against the structural members.
A drawback of certain of the prior art connector assemblies resides in the fact that the connector assemblies, while providing generally lateral stability to the structure that embodies the connector assembly often fails to provide adequate longitudinal stability to the structure. It is this deficiency that the connector assembly of the present invention seeks to overcome by providing a novel flanged connector assembly which includes strategically located side support brackets which effectively resists off center, longitudinal loading that may be exerted in the structure.